John Travolta American act, singer and dancer Date of Birth: 18.02.1954 Country: USA

1. Biography of John Travolta
2. Early Life
3. Early Career
4. Rise to Stardom
5. Transition to Different Genres
6. Later Career and Personal Life

Biography of John Travolta

John Travolta, an American actor, singer, and dancer, is known for his roles in action and crime films. However, few people know that he gained popularity in the late 70s by starring in a series of successful musicals. With his extravagant dance numbers and performances of popular songs, Travolta became a favorite among the youth of the disco era.

Early Life

John Travolta was born on February 18, 1954, in Englewood, New Jersey. His father was of Italian descent and played semi-professional football to support his family by trading auto parts. Travolta's mother taught acting and sang in her free time. From a young age, his parents instilled in him a love for music, theater, and film.

As a child, Travolta aspired to become a pilot. He collected airplane models and observed military exercises at a nearby military base. However, as he grew older and learned more about the military lifestyle, he realized that being a pilot was not the right path for him. He then decided to become a famous actor to earn a lot of money and buy his own airplane.

Early Career

Travolta's parents had been teaching acting to their children since their childhood. Travolta's father even built a makeshift stage where the family would perform small plays. As he got older, Travolta began studying dance with his brother, who was a student of the famous Gene Kelly. With his long-legged and flexible physique, he was naturally suited for dance. At the age of 16, Travolta dropped out of school and focused on his acting career.

He caught the attention of producers and was invited to perform in dance productions on Broadway. After a short period of time, Travolta made his debut in the television film "Emergency!" (1972). The young actor quickly gained the trust of directors and eventually became a star of musicals.

Rise to Stardom

John Travolta gained worldwide fame with the film "Saturday Night Fever" (1977), which became one of the most successful musical films of the 70s. In this film, Travolta showcased his dancing skills, as well as his sense of humor and dramatic talent. He achieved even greater success with the musical film "Grease" (1978), where he performed several hit songs. This was Travolta's shining moment, as he became the most popular actor in America at that time.

Transition to Different Genres

After his success in high-energy musical films, Travolta decided to change his image and try himself in different genres of cinema. In 1980, he starred in the western film "Urban Cowboy," followed by the thriller "Blow Out" (1981). These works were successful and allowed people to see Travolta's versatility as an actor. However, his popularity soon began to fade as he appeared in several unsuccessful films, and people started to forget about him.

The person who revived Travolta's career was the relatively unknown director Quentin Tarantino. As a big fan of musical films featuring Travolta, Tarantino invited him to star in his film "Pulp Fiction" (1994). Travolta's character in the film was a parody of himself from the 70s. The dance scene with Uma Thurman became one of the most memorable in the film and made the twist dance incredibly popular in the 90s. "Pulp Fiction" became a cult classic and brought Travolta nominations for an Oscar and a BAFTA award, making him one of the contenders for the Best Actor of the Year title.

Later Career and Personal Life

After the success of "Pulp Fiction," offers from producers poured in for Travolta. Following Tarantino's advice, he appeared in the comedy film "Get Shorty" (1995), which brought him even greater popularity and a Golden Globe award. He later starred in successful films such as "Face/Off" (1997) and "The Thin Red Line" (1998). In the 2000s, he continued to actively work in the film industry, although he had fewer significant roles.

Travolta had several romances in his youth but has been married only once. He married actress Kelly Preston, whom he met during the filming of "Mischief" (1985). They had two sons and a daughter together. In 2009, their eldest son tragically passed away due to a seizure caused by Kawasaki syndrome.

Since 1975, Travolta has been practicing Scientology. He is also actively involved in addressing societal issues and regularly donates money to charity. In 2010, he donated $10,000 to the Nelson Mandela Foundation in South Africa. Additionally, he provided medical supplies and clothing to doctors during the earthquake in Haiti.

Travolta's childhood dream of owning airplanes came true. He owns several aircraft, including a Boeing 707-138 he purchased from Qantas Airlines. All of his planes are named after his children. He is a licensed pilot and regularly flies his planes. In 2010, he personally piloted his Boeing to visit Russia, where he made a remarkable landing at an airport with no functioning lights.

Despite a decline in his career, Travolta continues to act in films, but he refuses to work for less than $25 million. He has also worked as a producer on the film "Battlefield Earth" (2000), although this experience turned out to be unsuccessful. Nevertheless, Travolta excels in roles in musical films, as he claims to have spent his entire youth dancing.